OWC participated on the Project Team and provided funding for the Phase 3 report of the Southern Foothills Study, A Future Worth Protecting. The study used ALCES® (A Landscape Cumulative Effects Simulator) to model what the landscape west of highway 2 will look like into 2060 under various management scenarios.

From the Headwaters Region in the west to the Irrigation Districts in the east, researchers across the Oldman Watershed are working on exciting projects to better understand our watershed. A diverse number of sectors participated in establishing a project directory including academics, provincial and federal government agencies, municipalities, non-government organizations, industry, consultants, First Nations, and recreational groups.

Xeriscape is a method of landscaping, originally developed for drought affected areas, where water conservation and unique aesthetics are a major influence to promote its installation. The objectives of this study are to develop a cost benefit analysis of converting from traditional lawn, to a Xeriscape landscape for City of Lethbridge residents in Lethbridge Alberta.

Findings from research projects like the Lethbridge Stormwater Outfalls Monitoring help inform and guide the OWC's educational programs regarding stormwater quality and water conservation as well as provide important data for monitoring.

What key parts of the environment do we need to keep in order to have functional ecosystems? How do we measure the impact of human activities on the health of the environment? What tipping points exist that we need to avoid? What clear themes are well established in research? A comprehensive review of research was just completed that attempts to answer these questions and more.

When high nitrate concentrations were found in drinking water wells near Fort Macleod, OWC contracted Joan Rodvang of LandWise Inc. to complete a study from February 2013 to Fall 2014 to determine the source of the nitrate and develop recommendations to improve drinking water quality for local residents.

In order to manage groundwater carefully, we must first understand it. How much is there? Where is it and where does it flow from and to? Is it good quality water? Groundwater in the Oldman watershed is complex and is not well understood yet because there has been limited monitoring and research. Two major groundwater studies the Willow Creek Watershed and the Crowsnest River Watershed illustrate the critical need for increased groundwater monitoring for managing this important resource.

The 2010 Oldman River State of the Watershed Report (SOW) rates the current health of the Oldman watershed by compiling scientific information. It is an overall report card for environmental quality and looks at three critical parts of the natural world: terrestrial and riparian habitat, water quantity and water quality.